After the Rain
by DeathRace6000
Summary: "You know, Endymion," the man drawled. "Perhaps you should know who I am. Perhaps you should know who was the cause of your ultimate demise. I am Prince Demando, ruler of Nemesis and this Earth"
1. The Rain

I was always unsatisfied with how easy it was for Demando to kidnap Usagi. Here's my take on how it should have happened. Enjoy!

**After the Rain**

"Do you like the changes I have made to this century, Sailor Moon?" the man drawled. "And you Sailor Venus and Tuxedo Kamen?" he quickly added.

The two remaining Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and King Endymion stood facing the foreign man and the shadowy figure at his side. Tension hung in the hair like the thick comforter on Usagi's bed. Tuxedo Kamen pushed Usagi behind him and held out his arms slightly, silently expressing that no one would touch her without a fight. Usagi gripped the silky fabric of Mamoru's cape, peering over his shoulder like a frightened child. The man cocked his head and smirked at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She hated that look and she'd probably never forget it. The way a passionate fire flickered in his eyes just screamed that he did not have good intentions.

"Who are you?" Mamoru snarled.

"I need not answer to foolish beings such as yourself, I am merely here to greet my special guest"

His obvious lack of making guest plural meant he was only talking to one person in particular. _Me..._

Mamoru picked up on it too. He spread his arms wider.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her"

The man was not threatened a bit. He tilted his chin up slightly and chuckled.

"You think you have the authority to stop me? This is _my _Earth"

Gripping his cane tightly in his hand, Tuxedo Kamen charged at the man. Venus followed, her chain handy and ready for action. The man flinched slightly and moved to the side, his cape fluttering from the motion, but to everyone's horror he vanished into thin air. Four pairs of nervous eyes searched the sky and the surrounding space, nothing revealing his location, or even his existence, save for a laugh that echoed all around them. It crawled up and down Usagi's spine, frightening her even more than any nightmare had ever. In a dream, she could wake up and escape to reality, but in reality, in the conscious world, there was no way out.

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

The laughter stopped.

"A tip for you, Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Venus," the man said. "Do not leave your princess unprotected. Someone may come and snatch her away"

A hand clamped over Usagi's mouth and an arm snaked around her waist.

_"MMMM!" _she cried.

"USAKO!"

The next events flew by so fast, Usagi's brain couldn't distinguish them. She saw Venus sprint forward, only to be thrown back by an invisible force as she got close to the pair. Her unconscious body hit the ground with a muffled thud. Tuxedo Kamen screamed and rushed towards the pair. A rich purple cape swirled around her and she found herself staring into a pair of hypnotic eyes.

_"SAILOR MOON! DON'T LOOK INTO HIS EYES!"_

King Endymion's warning was lost, carried off like dust in the wind. Haze descended over her mind, her thoughts slowed, and she was hopelessly lost in the depths of her mind. Her body was numb; she wasn't even sure how she was standing up. It was all so foggy. She felt as though she was an outsider staring at the weak, helpless girl below, who had once again failed everyone. Maybe just surrendering would be a good thing. Surely it would save innocent people. She was all he wanted. All she had to do was just go to sleep. Sleep was nice, she loved to sleep..._NO! _She broke free of his control for a second, just enough time to push away from him and topple to the ground. She fell on her rear and didn't waste any time leaping from the ground and returning to Mamoru's side.

"Usako, stay back, alright?" Mamoru said tenderly, yet his voice was stern and warning at the same time.

She nodded her head and watched as he ran toward their not so pleased enemy. Various shadows and glowing auras collected around him, glowing brightly and warning all that he was venomous and not something to toy with. Mamoru couldn't have cared less if he was the most dangerous, experienced fighter who had ever existed; he would make this man pay for ever laying a hand on his princess. With an incredible strength sourcing from his burning hate and fury, the dark haired man launched himself at his foe, brandishing his cane as if it were a sword. He landed a staggering blow, jarring the man to the point where he fell back, clutching his no doubt broken jaw. He spit a mixture of blood and saliva out onto the dirt and wiped his lips with the sleeve of his jacket. Mamoru was blinded by rage, consumed by emotion and unthinking, for he ran forth again, swinging his weapon with all the force he could muster. His opponent would not be caught off guard again, and delivered a powerful kick to Mamoru's shin. He bit his lip, drawing blood in the process, and did his best to ignore the biting pain in his leg. This would not be the move to undo him; he would not go down that easily.

"What's the matter, Endymion?" the man mocked as Mamoru took broken steps forward. "Afraid that I will carry _her_ off? Afraid that I'll ravish your little princess?"

Mamoru turned bright scarlet, his cheeks flushed red with hate. It only fueled the man's ego and encouraged him to go farther.

"Surely she's not still pure. Surely you've satiated your hunger time and time again"

If it was possible, Mamoru became even redder.

"Oh, Endymion!" the man roared with laughter. "How hard it must have been for you to control yourself. She's so _intoxicating. _Why, if she were to have been by my side for all of this time, I would have had her in my bed underneath me long before."

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Shouting obscenities, Mamoru threw punch after punch at the man he desperately wanted to see dead at his feet. Of course, he magically dodged every last one, but Mamoru didn't care. He had heard enough of what he had to say and if this was the only way to shut him up, then so be it.

"MAMO-CHAN! BEHIND YOU!"

It hadn't registered in his mind that the man was no longer in front of him and he turned around just in time to swerve out of the way of a dagger headed straight for the small of his back.

"Coward!" Mamoru spat. "You can't even fight me face to face"

"I had no intentions of fighting you. I came solely to retrieve my property"

The dagger was swung, grazing Mamoru's left cheek. Droplets of blood beaded on the thin line.

"Is that the best you can do?" he panted.

The corners of the man's lips curled upwards in a sadistic smirk.

"No"

_"MAMO!"_

A shower of daggers fashioned from a black crystal appeared behind him and with no hesitation, rained down on Mamoru's body, as a blood curdling scream escaped from Usagi's throat. Her knees went weak and she collapsed, falling onto her knees, clutching the sides of her head. Blood splattered from every wound, staining the ground a dark shade of ruby and coaxing a wave of nausea from her. Her head pounded, and her muscles tensed up. She couldn't move an inch. Every thought, every last ounce of energy was spent staring at her wounded protector, yet she couldn't even bring herself to crawl to him. What was wrong with her?

"You know, _Endymion,_" the man drawled. "Perhaps you should know who I am. Perhaps you should know who was the cause of your ultimate demise. I am Prince Demando, ruler of Nemesis and this Earth"

"Demando," Mamoru hissed through his clenched teeth. "You will not get away with this. You won't take Usagi"

"Contrary to your belief, I will. All of my desires shall fall into my hand, including _her_"

He made a big show of walking over to her, strolling slowly, with his back straight and chin up, that triumphant smirk displayed on his lips. Usagi wanted to slap him. He stopped walking once he was a good ten feet from her and held his arm out, palm up, motioning her to go to him. She glared daggers at him, ready to curse, but her attention was caught by one thing. On his forehead was an eye, a glowing yellow eye. As odd as it was, she didn't react to it, she simply stared forward, held in place by the power it emitted.

_Serenity...come with me..._

She pulled herself off the ground and started walking towards Demando, in a trance. Her eyes were glazed over and her movements were sluggish; she felt like a rag doll. Demando enveloped her in a strong embrace, stroking her hair, and whispering in her ear.

"You're where you belong now. You will never leave my side"

"_Nnnn_"

"Wiseman. It's time we return home.

**End**

Most likely, I will add more, so keep your eyes peeled. Would you kindly review? (;


	2. Confrontation

Chapter two! Enjoy!

**After the Rain: Confrontation**

_"Nn...my head..."_

Usagi sat up, the thin sheets sliding off of her body. She cradled her pounding head in her hand and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Where was she? Surely she hadn't been kidnapped...Mamoru...he wouldn't have allowed it. Where was he?

"Mamo-chan?" she called out into the seemingly endless shadows.

Her voice echoed around the room, eventually dulled into silence.

"Mamo-chan?" she said again, this time louder.

She crawled out of the bed, and took slow steps towards a tiny flickering light in the center of the room. She hadn't noticed before, but she was no longer in her fuku, instead a flowing dress of a shimmering white and gold silk hugged her body. She wasn't wearing any shoes and...

Her body stiffened.

The Ginzuishou wasn't with her.

She hurriedly patted every inch of her body, digging her hand into every little fold and wrinkle of the dress, her face getting paler and paler as she hopelessly searched and came up with nothing. She ran back in the direction of the bed, hitting her knees against some sort of nightstand. To her relief, the Ginzuishou sat on the surface of the small stand, winking back at her as if she never had a thing to worry about. She gently scooped it up in her hands as if it were a wounded dove. She wasn't about to leave it here. Her mind was still filled with questions and doubts as to what was going on, and she wasn't going to leave her only source of protection. The flickering light caught her eye again, and figuring that it could give her answers, she headed in its direction, this time walking with a little more purpose._  
_

"What the..." she muttered as her eyes rested on the thing. It was a hologram. A hologram of _herself._ "No...Neo Queen Serenity"

"Do you like the hologram I had made?"

For the second time, her body stilled.

"Who's there?" she questioned weakly, her voice cracking.

The voice was so familiar, yet at the same time it scared her to death. She turned and backed up slightly, her shoulders coming into contact with the pillar that displayed the hologram. The cool, gentle touch of something so solid and unmoving provided her slight comfort. At least in a way, she knew nothing could sneak up behind her. In her right hand, she held the Ginzuishou firmly; whoever was hiding from her was not going to take it. She heard a loud rustling, a sound so similar, almost exactly the same as the one Tuxedo Kamen's cape made when he would leap from the top of a building down to the ground to her rescue. If it told her one thing, it was that whoever was hiding, it wasn't Mamoru, Mamoru wasn't here, and he wasn't anywhere close. She was on her own now.

"Where are you?" she asked timidly, although she tried her hardest to sound strong and courageous. It didn't work.

She was greeted with the response of more rustling and dark laughter.

Deciding that she was getting absolutely no where, and being egged on by her inner conscience, she left the safety of the pillar and the hologram, venturing into the vast unknown darkness of which she was unsure how far it stretched. Every step she took was careful, for she gently tapped the floor with the tips of her toes before she placed her whole foot out, and it seemed like hours before she heard anything again. The sound was unmistakable. The faint click of a pair of shoes, heels, against the floor. Was the person in the shadows a woman? But the voice and the laughter had belonged to a man. Were there two people in the room? If only she could see! She absolutely hated how her eyes wouldn't adjust to the dark no matter how hard she squinted or widened them. Whatever would she do?

_Click. Click._

The way every sound bounced off the walls and echoed around made it absolutely impossible to tell how close or far the person making the sounds was. Maybe they were behind her, or on the completely opposite side of the room; it was all completely unknown to her. She would kill to have a flashlight. As if it had heard her inward plea, the Ginzuishou pulsed with a dull light for a split second, but it was enough for her to see the outline of a man standing just a few feet away from her. She gasped, startled, and hopped back a step.

"Don't hide from me" she ordered. "I know you're there! Come out!"

And then the little game of hide and seek was over.

The Ginzuishou was plucked out of her hand, her arms bound behind her back, a sultry chuckle filling her ears.

"Should you really be the one making demands?" a voice purred.

Her blood ran cold. This voice, this man...! Mamoru! She knew where he was now! _Oh gods, no..._

_"_Where's Mamoru?" her shaky voice asked even though she already knew the answer.

"You mean Endymion? Dead, just like he always should have been" he paused for a moment and howled with laughter before lowly adding something else. "They're all dead. No one is coming to save you"

_"No!"_

She stomped on his foot as hard as she could, the pain and shock causing him to loosen his hold on her enough to allow her to free one hand and punch him in the cheek. She heard a faint crack and he hissed in pain. Usagi silently cheered.

"Don't touch me"

All around the room, candles flickered to life, their flames illuminating the room with a reddish glow. She stood tall, facing the man who held his bruised jaw in one hand, and her Ginzuishou in the other. He smiled at her affectionately, as if she were a child trying to stand up to an adult; as if she was powerless and bluffing. Clearly he didn't know her.

"Give me the Ginzuishou!"

"This?" he teased and held her crystal up. "How would it help?"

"I'll show you" she growled.

He put up no fight and tossed it to her. She caught it, held it up and screamed her transformation phrase.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

_My brooch..._

Of course! That was it! All she needed was her brooch and she could kick this guy all the way into next week!

"Where's my brooch?"

The bright pink object was tossed her way, and relief washed over her as she called out her transformation again and felt a wave of power radiate through her body. Warmth bathed over her every vessel and that familiar power sunk into her veins, giving her immediate strength. She smiled defiantly at the man who stood by watching and doing nothing. She would show him just what she could do! She'd-

All of her power slowly seeped away, and she felt weak once again. It wasn't just a powerless weak feeling, but a _physical _one. She felt as if all of the strength from every muscle had vaporized. That headache she had awoken with returned, and her knees wobbled, threatening to collapse._  
_

"Remind me again, what were you going to do with those?"

She had no strength to resist him as he retrieved her brooch and Ginzuishou from her hands.

"Do you know why you're so faint and exhausted?" he asked.

"N-no"

He smiled.

"It's because your body has yet to adjust to this planet, and to the Jakokusuishou's power"

_This planet...__no...I'm on Nemesis?_

"Why don't we sit down and have a talk?"

Her body moved on it's own, taking her towards a chair set next to a table. She fell back onto it and found she couldn't move a muscle, forced to stare at the man.

"I am Prince Demando, your highness" he said, introducing himself and he bowed slightly. "If I might say, that dress looks lovely on you"

"Thank you..."

And then he spent the next hour or so filling her in on his plans, desires, history, and worst of all, what he was going to do with her. It felt like an eternity as she sat there, unable to move, forced to look at him and say nothing as he ranted on and on. She was beyond frightened by the time he got to the topic of Neo Queen Serenity.

"I never dreamed she would show herself. The all powerful goddess who lived in that impenetrable castle...Neo Queen Serenity. What a beautiful ruler"

Usagi took note of how his eyes hazed over as he became drunken with memories and no doubt, fantasies swirling around in his mind.

"But she glared at me with contempt, as if I were not even human. Her eyes rejected me"

_Good for her,_ Usagi thought bitterly. _You are far from being human._

"...since that time, I have never forgotten those eyes. I needed to see her again and make her kneel before me. I needed her at any cost, in any form"

She noticed how he approached her, each word paired with a single step towards her. She didn't like where this was going. Her breath was hitched, her heartbeat sent into some frantic irregular pattern, as he leaned over her, his hands wrapped tightly around the armrests of the chair she sat in. She could feel his breath, warm and damp on her skin, and it smelled strongly of alcohol. It was repulsive and made her want to vomit. Her eyes frantically searched for some way out from underneath him, but deep down she knew there would be no escaping him. Besides, even if she found a way, it wasn't like she could move.

"In any form," he whispered lowly. "I finally have you"

She glared daggers at him, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would discourage him from making any moves. She was far from right. He tilted her head back to where she was staring right in his eyes, not able to look away.

"Yes, those eyes. The beautiful ruler of the beautiful planet, Neo Queen Serenity. No, _Princess Serenity"_

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he captured her lips in a heated kiss. Inwardly, she sobbed and apologized over and over to Mamoru, wherever he was, that she was kissing another man. Although her mind was completely against it, her body had a different idea, going so far as to gently stroking his covered chest with her fingertips and kissing him back with just as much passion as he had put forth. She hadn't a clue how much time passed before she finally pulled back for air, all she knew was that no matter how much she tried to convince herself that she had hated it, she had actually _enjoyed _it. Just the kiss, though, just the feeling of soft lips against hers, not him, not Demando. He could rot in hell for all she cared.

She clenched her fist.

_Wait! I clenched my fist!_

She could move again! Without a second thought, she pushed him away, and delivered a stinging slap to his cheek. She was delighted by how loud it was when her flesh had connected with his; it was her way of knowing she had hit him hard. While he was preoccupied with tending to his already bruising wound, she kicked the chair back and ran for her dear life towards the door. She could get out and she _was_ going to get out, and the mere thought fueled her on.

"CATCH HER!" Demando snarled.

She giggled, knowing he was just bluffing and trying to scare her. There was no one else in the room, and it was unlikely anyone outside had heard him. She was home free!

"Yes, Prince Demando"

Two men appeared in front of her. The blood drained from her face. Each one grabbed an arm, hauling her up to where her feet couldn't touch the ground. They drug her back over to Demando, ignoring her screams and pleas and avoiding her kicks. She squirmed and fought their hold, using every last ounce of energy to fight against them, but it was all in vain, and she knew she had lost before they had even gotten within ten feet of Demando. She hung her head, refusing to look up at him, as they brought her in front of him, splaying her out like she was some sort of trophy.

"Release her"

"But my Prince-"

"Do it"

They dropped her and she fell to the ground, for she had no strength to hold herself up. She moaned weakly as another wave of dark energy flowed through her. That, combined with her fatigue, left her powerless and feeble at Demando's feet.

"Leave us" he commanded.

The two men bowed and left the room.

"Now, _Princess_" he sneered. "I'm going to teach you a lesson that you will never forget"

_This will not end well..._

**End**

I'm going to leave it up to your imagination to decide what happened to her. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you again for chapter three! Would you kindly review? (;


	3. The Underworld

I can't resist writing new chapters, which is probably a good thing for the sake of all of my readers. Here's a quick shout out to IcyCoyote! You rock! Enjoy the new chapter, everyone!

**After the Rain: The Underworld**

Much to Usagi's chagrin, she wasn't allowed anywhere without a guard. Every step she took was mirrored by the woman behind her, Ishida, who held a menacing scythe in her hand, ready to defend. She didn't believe it was for her protection, in fact, it was probably Demando's attempt to scare her. Like the dictators she had read about in history class, his way of keeping things in control was installing fear in the hearts of his subjects; the hearts of his _prisoners. _It worked like a charm though, keeping Usagi in line. She didn't look forward to another punishment. Unlike a small dog who was all bark, no bite, Demando was all bark with an even worse bite. It wasn't even a bite in reality, more of a maul.

"Ishida," Usagi addressed. "What time is dinner?"

"Whenever the Prince decides" she replied cooly.

Usagi hardly ever tried to make conversation with the cold captain. All her responses were too groomed, too rehearsed, too robotic. It was as if she had a script that she stuck to; as if she was an actor reading off lines that someone else wrote. They didn't fit comfortably in her mouth, it seemed, and so they sounded just as awkward to Usagi.

The young Princess rubbed her arms and looked around in amazement, as she continued walking with no real destination in mind. The corridors were chilly and dark, lit only by candles suspended high up above the ground. As pretty as the dresses were that she had available to her, they did little to protect her from the biting cold. Demando liked them however, and they were all she had to wear, so she was forced to put up with them. Sometimes she wondered who made them. She hardly ever saw anyone around the citadel, save for the occasional guard or two making their rounds. It was even rarer to see women; it seemed as though she and Ishida were the only women in the whole palace.

_Screeeeech. _

The hallway was consumed by the loud sound of metal scraping against crystal. Like usual, Ishida had let the hilt of her scythe wander down too far, causing it to make contact with the floors. It was a terrible sound, but one that Usagi had gotten used to. Besides, there were worse. Especially the sound of the legs of a chair being drug against the ground. She had heard that sound many times; all of those times being when she was punished.

The whole place was run like a prison; the weapons, the curfew, the constant watch. She so desperately wished that someone, anyone, would come to her rescue and save her from such a condemned place. With each passing day, she was delving into the horror and darkness of Nemesis; the depths of Demando's desire. She didn't know how long it would be before she couldn't take it anymore. Surely, she would eventually cave, consumed by demons. _Demons. _Such a fitting word for this place. They were all demons, with Demando being Hades himself. Nemesis was hell, the Underworld, and she was Persephone, slowly losing herself and her mind amongst all of it. Somehow, the scrape of the scythe was keeping her sane, reminding her of petty annoyances which led to memories which led to...feelings. Strong feelings that belonged to another girl from another lifetime. Usagi wasn't the Usagi who ran around and played games and spent time with her friends, she was Princess Serenity, yet at the same time not; she was certainly not the regal girl who had lived thousands of years before. She wasn't anyone, just the ghost of a girl who had once lived, doomed to walk the halls of hell for all eternity.

Doomed to live under the watchful shadow of the devil.

* * *

Nemesis had no sun and had no moon. The sky ranged from light grey, to a color darker than black. For that reason, and the fact that she never once left the comfort and solace of her room unless she had to, days felt shorter, and nights felt endless. Especially when she had a pair of lavender eyes roving over her sleeping form. Some were worse than others, but each night foretold the promise of interrupted sleep. Since there were no clocks, she never knew exactly what time he arrived, and it seemed as though it was the same time every night. The door would open just enough for him to fit through and she'd hear his cape rustle with the occasional tap of his shoes, as if he was jumping from wall to wall to get to her. By habit, she'd roll over on her left side to where she was staring at the smooth black crystal wall, and unconsciously her breath would slow, becoming more and more shallow as the minutes went by. He'd sit on the edge of her bed, sometimes just watching, but others overtaken by some feeling that although unknown to her, scared her to near death. She'd have to try to not jump or move away as his hands gently caressed every last inch of her body.

She feared the day when he would be compelled to join her under the covers.

Almost always, he left, although occasionally he was there when she awoke, staring her down. Those days were filled with a bitter, curt exchange and her immense desire to push him out of her room, her life, and her _mind_. She just wanted him to give her her life back and leave her alone. Was that so much to ask?

"Do you not have your own room to stay in?"

She regretted asking as soon as the words had left her mouth. Across from her, Demando gently set his utensils down, swiping his napkin off the table and dabbing the corners of his mouth with it, even though there was not a single crumb or remnant of food. His eyes flickered for a moment, switching between emotions as if he was trying to decide whether or not to answer the question and move on, or to become enraged. As soon as he looked up, the violet depths swirling with darkness, she knew he had chosen anger; confrontation.

"And what makes you so entitled to ask questions, my Princess? From my postion, you are my guest and shall not question my decisions"

"I believe your perception is wrong" she said, starting to convey her bitter fury. "Last time I checked, I was a prisoner, not your guest"

_Screeeeech._

_Here we go..._

She tilted her head back every so slightly, inhaling deeply to supply her brain with fresh oxygen, but to her horror found she could not breathe. Her eyes flew open to find Demando's hand curled around her throat, cutting off her airway. With unmatched strength, he lifted her from her chair and threw her against the wall, not too hard, but rough enough for it to hurt. She was given a moment to collect herself before her descended on her again. She coughed and sputtered as her head flew to the side, crashing against the wall in response to his punch. She raised her hands in an attempt to block his blows, but found that it didn't disrupt him, in fact, it probably did more harm than good. _Crack! _He had punched her hand hard and pain shot up her arm, being transmitted rapidly up to her brain. Every fiber of her screamed, and tears willingly fell. She had only felt such a pain once, the time she had broken her ribs when she was eight. No doubt, Demando had broken her wrist.

An eternity passed before Demando peeled himself away from her, rising from the ground and dusting off his pants with the backs of his hands. Usagi was a crumpled mess, curled into a tiny ball and sobbing, broken, bruised, and no doubt bleeding. She would've hated to have seen what she looked like in the mirror. She would've hated to see the extent of the damage.

"That is how I treat my prisoners. Consider yourself lucky that I regard you as a guest"

Usagi sobbed even harder. What had she become? She couldn't even stand up to him; couldn't even fight back. Where had her spirit gone? Who was she now? Perhaps she really was dead. Just the empty, soulless shell that was left of herself. She should've let Demando beat her until she perished. Death would have been prefferable to this. Her spirit was gone, everything she cared for taken away just like that. She was trapped inside of herself, a prison worse than anything Nemesis could conjure up.

_We believe in you, Usagi!_

"Guys?" Usagi asked the empty room, bewildered. She wiped a stray tear away and sniffled, crawling onto all fours and shakily standing up, her curious blue eyes scanning every inch of the room.

The voices had gone, but she could still hear every syllable clearly. A ghost of a smile was present on her face. Maybe all wasn't lost just yet.

**End**

At this point in the story, Usagi's been on Nemesis for a reasonable amount of time, probably inching towards a month or so. She's been broken and forced to put up with all of this crap that I feel like is completely characteristic of Demando. I mean, let's face it, the man is really sick and doesn't really know how to treat people. As much as I love this pairing, I don't think a love between them would be all sunshine and rainbows. In my mind if there's any love present, it's dark, twisted, and abusive. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you once more for chapter four! Would you kindly review? (;


	4. Lust

It has taken me far too long to update this (blame it on writer's block or sheer laziness, your choice!), but never fear, I have not given up on this story. Enjoy!

**After the Rain: Lust**_  
_

_I will go mad if I stay here..._

Curiosity had won the best of her, and quietly, she had sneaked out of her room intent to explore the vast dark halls of the citadel. At first, it had been easy to find her way around, for there was a single hallway that seemed to span for miles, but her wandering had eventually taken her to a crossroads, corridors on all sides, each identical in appearance. She had chose the one to her left, which proved to not be welcoming, for she was met with a dead end that seemed quite out of place. It was like something was trying to keep her out. That was the prime reason she hated the palace and felt the need to venture out into the uncharted waters. There was something sinister about the place, as if it had a mind of it's own. It was playing with her, or so it felt.

Turning the corner to go back the way she had come, a devil of a thought snuck into her mind. Where was Demando's room? She shook her head in an effort to shake the question out of her mind, but to no avail. In fact, it had ingrained itself even deeper into her mind. She found herself unconsciously searching for it, going down the adjacent hall which was not blocked off, to her relief. Every corridor was the same, room after room with an even amount of space between them, every so often a roman column breaking the pattern. The floors, opaque white, occasionally glittered as if they were alive and winking at her. Darkness hung like a cloud overhead, obscuring the ceiling, the only visible thing being the flickering flames of the candles lighting the space. The hallways seemed to get darker and darker with each passing step, foreshadowing what was to come probably. The halls were strange; different than they had been. They captured her interest now for some reason and she couldn't help but notice every little off detail. She _had _paid attention to the hallways before, but in the hours of the day they were somnolent, brought to life only by the black night. Her curiosity was being fed only causing it to grow larger and making her desire to go forth sky rocket.

Hours of walking had occupied her sleeping hours, hours of delirious confusion, hours of searching for something she was unsure of. She had gone down countless corridors, walked hundreds of steps, before she had come to the most frightening of them all.

The one hall that was immersed in black with not a single light was no doubt the one that she had been searching for.

Without so much as a second thought, her curiosity teased her, forcing her to walk forward and see just what lay at the end. In a trance, she stumbled forward, her steps choppy and halted, partially from fatigue, and partially from fear that had taken root. There were things much more frightening, right? Surely she wasn't going to let some stupid hallway get the best of her.

She had finally gone far enough to see the end of the corridor. A large set of doors, standing tall and piercing the darkness overhead, no doubt stretching all the way to the ceiling, lay at the end, daunting yet alluring all at once. Two silhouettes, one on each side stood guard.

She had found Demando's quarters.

She had journeyed into the darkest recess of Hell.

Her feet were stuck to the floor, pinning her in place while she thought over her options. She could turn around and hope no one had seen her and crawl back into her velvety cage, or she could appease her curiosity and face the possible danger head on. Her throat ran dry as she thought about her second option. What did Demando do behind closed doors?

"Come forth, intruder!"

_Too late to turn back..._

On command, she entered their line of sight, her eyes widening as the tips of two sleek, cool blades prodded her throat.

"What business do you have coming to the Prince's chambers at this hour?" One rasped.

She had no answer to the question. Her silence was taken the wrong way.

"Answer him!" The guard's companion growled and pressed the sword against her throat with more force, drawing blood. He assumed a defensive position as if she were dangerous.

Usagi hissed from the stinging pain bestowed upon her neck. Was this all that she would experience here? Pain, loneliness, a broken heart?

"What the hell is going on out here!"

The door was cracked open, a head of disheveled silver hair poking out. Demando glared daggers at the two guards, barking at them to drop their weapons and leave. Dropping their swords, the shiny metal weapons clanging at contact with the ground, they hurriedly bowed and disappeared in twin puffs of grey smoke, traces of their apologies lingering in the air.

She was left to face him alone.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his tone gradually softening. "You should be in your bedchambers, asleep."

"I-I..."

Her words fell off of her tongue, nothing left for her to say as Demando dragged her into his room by her wrist, shutting the door behind them. With no time to react, he embraced her, smothering her in a tight hug.

"Feeling the desire to visit your Prince?" He chuckled darkly, gently kissing the tip of her ear.

"After your beating in the dining room, I would never want to be in your arms."

"You didn't get the roses? My heartfelt apology? Or perhaps you did and you want a little..._more_." He teased.

Using all of the force she could muster up, she pushed him away, not expecting for him to release her. With so much force, she fell back only for Demando to swoop down and capture her in his arms. He smiled seductively at her. This was all a game to him, a tease; she hated it. Why had she ever thought it would be a good idea to come here? She didn't actually want to see him...right?

"I don't want anything from you."

She peeled his arms off her waist and fled to the corner of the room. He didn't follow.

"Do you think I don't notice, Princess? Do you think I don't see why you reject me so harshly? Why you run from me?" He smirked, crossing his arms. "You _like _me."

She snorted; a very unladylike gesture, but the moment well deserving.

"You think _I _like _you_?" She asked incredulously. "How arrogant can you be?"

She turned her back to him to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Just enough." He purred sultrily, appearing behind her.

Blood rushed to her cheeks. There was a small part of her that was incredibly attracted to him and was bathing in pleasure from his close proximity and obvious flirting, but most of her was desperately trying to reject him. She still had her friends and Mamoru to think about; all of whom she was sure to still inhabit the land of the living. She refused to fall into Demando's trap and be lured in by his charm.

"Sit down and have a drink with me."

She was ready to say no, she had all intent to, but her hidden lust for him won her senses over for that split second and she took his hand, letting him lead her to his bed. For some reason it didn't occur to her that she was about to be put in a spot where he could take advantage of her. Secretly, she wouldn't have minded anyway. Drunk with euphoria, she sunk down onto the bed, sitting just a out of arm's reach. She was still slightly on edge with him. She watched with curiosity as he fetched two crystal glasses off a silver tray and uncorked a tall, slim bottle. A reddish purple liquid trickled from the bottle and into the glasses. When they were each halfway filled he scooped them up and walked over to her.

"What is this?" She asked, sniffing the liquid.

"Wine, of course. It is the only fitting drink for royals such as ourselves."

_Wine..._

"I can't," she squeaked and pushed the glass that was being held out to her away. "I can't drink."

"Of course you can," he pressed and shoved the glass into her hand, annoyance starting to appear on his chiseled features.

She knocked the glass aside, watching as it tumbled out of his hand and shattered to the ground into thousands of tiny, wet pieces. Her glance flickered over to Demando who took a sip from his own glass and made a _tsk _sound.

"That was a waste of perfectly good wine."

He took another sip.

"I believe I should get going." She popped off the bed, stepping over the remnants of what had been her wine glass.

Demando didn't agree apparently, for he yanked her back in his direction, sending her toppling onto the bed next to him. Her mouth opened in protest, but her words were cut short by his ferocious, lust-charged kiss. Startled, her eyes were wide and she gasped as his tongue slipped into her open mouth. She felt the gentle dribble of warm liquid enter her mouth, cringing when she realized that it was wine. Involuntarily, she swallowed, the alcoholic liquid caressing her esophagus in a rich embrace. She felt the low rumble of Demando's growl, her stomach fluttering in response. His hands wandered to her waist and she was pushed back against the numerous pillows piled on his bed.

She yelped as his hands roamed over her body, gently skimming over her thighs. The sensations she felt were strange, foreign, but sent electric charges pulsing through her body. Part of her mind nagged at her that this was wrong and she needed to get away, but she ignored it, choosing to delve deeper into her pleasure. This was what love felt like, _that _kind of _love. _She hadn't felt loved for a very long time. That part of her that was still devoted to Mamoru agreed. She hadn't felt anything pleasurable for what had seemed like an eternity; she longed for this, she deserved this, even if she didn't love the man on top of her.

The gentle vibrations of Demando's moan made the nerves in her neck tingle as he nuzzled her. Judging from his movements and his very _vora__cious _sounds, she knew he was losing control. He would want _that _very soon; expect it.

She gently nudged his body off of hers with the palms of her hands.

She wasn't ready for this. She was only a teenager. This wasn't what she wanted to do, not at this age. No matter how _good _it felt, no matter how much she secretly lusted for him, she would not give into his and her own desires. She owed that much to herself and those who she cared about. And besides, there was another reason.

She didn't _want_ to give herself to him; she didn't _want_ to betray Mamoru.

Not understanding her intentions apparently, Demando dove back in, gently nibbling on the skin of her neck with teeth. His hands tugged at her dress, his way of telling her that he didn't want it on her anymore.

"Stop..." she said, pushing him again. "Stop!"

His eyes were clouded with confusion.

"I can't do this. Not now." She whimpered and crawled out from underneath him and off of the bed.

She could feel the pain of her rejection radiating off of him. She had been so close, so close to letting him take her.

She had been so close to betraying the love of her life.

Her heart ached as she fled his room. It ached from it's torn state. From what she had just experienced, she knew that there was a part of her that _wanted _Demando way more than she loved Mamoru, and that scared her.

An ominous feeling trailed closely behind her, warning that something bad would come from all of this. Nothing good would come from the dark lust she was starting to experience.

She had been right about one thing.

She was going mad.

**End**

This spiced things up a little! There's now this sexual tension in the air that can't be ignored. Things are definitely going to get crazy from here on out. Would you kindly review? (;


	5. The Darkest of Loves

Enjoy!

**After the Rain: The Darkest of Loves**

_A thick, grey mist was suspended above the dark space she wandered. Looking left, right, up, and down, Usagi called out repeatedly for someone. There was no one there, though, not even Demando who seemed to always be present, watching her from the shadows. She was all alone for the first time in what seemed like forever. One would expect to find solace in an empty place after being kept under the lustful gaze of the White Prince she wanted nothing to do with, but she found herself even lonelier than she had been, wondering why fate had once again condemned her to such a painful existence. _

_"This way!"_

_The warm, silky voice of her beloved friend Rei seeped into mind, taking root._

_"Rei-chan?" She hesitantly asked the vast emptiness. _

_"Come and find us, Usagi!" _

_Rei's voice tickled her brain and fueled her with intense desire to find her friends. Although she knew not of where they could be, she followed her instincts and the occasional teasing of Rei, heading off towards where she hoped her friends were. Her heart burned with strong hope that she would find her friends, that she would see them again. She had to; they were alive. With any luck, maybe Mamoru would be with them too. They would save her from Demando, they would save her from her lust, they would save her from herself. They were always there for her._

_"Usagi..." Makoto chuckled. "We're right here..."_

_"Where?" Usagi asked anxiously._

_She turned around and found the ghosts of her friends standing there, dressed in their school uniforms. They smiled at her and held their hands out to her. Ami stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Usagi who started to cry. Twin streams of tears coursed down her cheeks and fell, passing right through Ami and falling to the ground._

_"We've always been right here." Ami said softly and placed a hand over Usagi's heart._

_More tears came._

_"Please, you all have to save me! Take me away from this place! I don't want to be here anymore!" She cried._

_The trio sadly shook their heads._

_"We are useless in this state," their heartbroken voices said in unison. "We can neither move nor interact with the conscious world."_

_Usagi's eyes became filled with fear and she grabbed Makoto's hands, holding onto them for dear life, pleading with them._

_"What can I do? Tell me! I'll do anything to save you!"_

_"Find us," Rei said. "We are closer than you think."_

_Their bodies started to fade, started to assimilate into the mist above. They looked at her with eyes consumed by sadness, but still found a way to smile at her, as melancholic as it was. Usagi clawed and grasped, trying to hold on to any trace of her friends she could, unwilling to see them taken from her again._

_"Don't leave me!" The Princess sobbed. "Don't leave me alone again!"_

_"You'll never be alone..." Ami's hand brushed her cheek. "We're always with you."_

* * *

"Sailor Mars, Mercury, Jupiter. I no longer have any use for you. I'll let you rot in that stone prison, the Room of Darkness." Demando chuckled wickedly to himself.

The White Prince observed the hologram that projected the image of the unconscious Sailor Senshi that floated weightlessly in his dark prison. The Jakokusuishou had long sucked away their powers and energy, leaving them to be nothing more than hollow dolls who could do nothing to save themselves or their precious Serenity. In the beginning, he had needed them to carry out the easy task of being bait and luring the ever so loyal Princess to his century, to his planet, and now that they had outlived their usefulness, Demando was ready to end their lives. Crossing one leg over the other and lifting his wine glass in a toast, he smiled darkly and laughed. They would never live to see the day that Serenity fell under his spell, installed on the throne beside him as the rightful Queen of Nemesis and the Earth.

"Prince Demando," Wiseman greeted as his body was slowly pieced together from the shadows that hung over the room. The dark creature roved his hands over his glass ball which projected the image of Usagi, who rolled around in her sleep, sobbing, and protesting against something unknown. "Her heart is being consumed by her growing lust and loneliness. Now is your chance to strike and have the Princess for your own!"

An opportunity Demando couldn't let bypass...She was already so weak, so feeble, her will being eroded as each hour passed. Why wouldn't he take this moment and use it to have her kneeling before him? After all, that is what he had wanted for the longest of times. It was what he had dreamed of. To see her at his feet, pledging her undying loyalty and love for him...he would be crazy to turn away the chance. She was the last thing he needed to attain his perfect world. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to give Wiseman the order to steal into her mind and twist her thoughts until she was the beautiful, submissive Queen he had always lusted for.

"She will come to me of her own accord," Demando declared, speaking his thoughts aloud. And then, perhaps for his own sake, he added "I am her true lover. I am the only one she will ever need."

Unknown to both Demando and his advisor, Usagi stood outside of the throne room, her ear pressed against the door, listening in horror to what Demando had just revealed.

"They're in the Room of Darkness..." she whispered weakly and then covered her mouth with her hands, hoping that no one had heard her.

She had no idea what the Room of Darkness was, other than that it was the place her friends were being held and that it was functioning as Demando's prison. She hadn't a clue where it could be or what it even looked like. There wasn't much for her to work with, but she needed to find them now that she knew they were here and she needed to find them as soon as possible. They would do the same for her. Thinking back on her dream, she sorted through their words, their actions, dissecting every tiny piece of information that was available to her.

_"We are closer than you think."_

That was it! There was something that they were telling her with the phrase. Perhaps the Room of Darkness was next to her bedchambers and she had missed it with every passing. Maybe she just needed to look harder and read between the lines or so to speak. She wouldn't let them perish in their prison like Demando had hoped. She would rescue them and together, they would go home. All of this would be just a distant memory once she was home in her century, surrounded by those who cared for her.

A small laugh full of relief escaped her lips.

Her body stilled.

"Who's there?" Demando's muffled voice questioned.

She should've taken the split second she had and ran away for her dear life, but she was too startled to move. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, her hand clamped over her mouth. She had let her guard down for one moment, _one moment__,_ and look what it was going to cost her. She was really going to be in for it. Demando wouldn't be very pleased to find her there.

"Would you look at that," the White Prince mused as the door swung open, barely missing her. "It seems as though we have a naughty little Princess sneaking around."

His grin was full of mockery, his expression so sickeningly sweet that Usagi instantly regretted eavesdropping on his conversation and wondered why she had ever thought that this was a good idea. But there was no way to turn back time.

"Come here, Serenity." He held a hand out to her, and not wanting to further anger him, she hesitantly took it and allowed him to lead her inside the throne room.

The first thing she noticed about the room was that it was massive, spanning an area that was as big as the entire first floor of her home, but only held a single piece of furniture. Demando's throne seemed miniscule in comparison to the space, but was right at home among the dark lighting and the creepy atmosphere. It was made of a dark metal and embellished with crystals, standing a good eight feet high, posted in front of three columns that pulsed with purple and black light. The colors swirled around in a dance of wicked beauty, promising power to whomever possessed them. She was mesmerized by the beautiful show, wondering why Demando wouldn't choose to have the pillars in front of him so he could watch the dazzling display. _  
_

"Sit."

He shoved her roughly and she fell back into his throne. It was ice cold, which came as a shock to her seeing as though it should have been warmed by his body heat since he had only been there just a few minutes ago. Her thin, white dress did nothing to warm her, only serving to shield her naked body from Demando's hungry eyes.

"Now what should we do about you, Princess?" He pondered aloud as he circled her.

She tried to keep him in her line of sight, craning her neck and trying to follow him with her eyes, but found that it made her very dizzy and so she stopped, choosing to fix her eyes on a mass of crystal in the center of the room that was similar to the one in her own bedchambers. As she felt his hand skim the back of her neck, she forced herself to not react and kept her body still. She'd be giving him exactly what she wanted if she reacted; she needed to keep face.

"Will another beating suffice? Or perhaps," he stopped and leaned down, his voice husky and low. "We should try something new."

She flinched, arousing a chuckle from him as he took a strand of her hair between his fingers and resumed his circling.

"How about just this once, I let you off easily." Demando proposed. "If you promise to never do this again, I'll let this incident slip by-"

"Done." She interrupted.

She was surprised by just how quickly the words had left her mouth.

"Uh uh," he chuckled. He stood in front of her, hands on the armrests, trapping her in. A wolfish grin danced on his lips. "I wasn't finished. If we're to let this slip by without a punishment, I want something else. I want you to kiss me. I want you to _really _kiss me."

_And that's not a punishment?, _she thought to herself. She'd almost have rather been beaten. She wasn't left with much of a decision at this point. He'd kiss her anyway if she didn't agree and then she'd probably be punished. Her back was against a wall and she had a single choice. As much as she hated it, as much as she hated _him_, this was her only means of escape for now. Every moment that she didn't respond was a second she could've been looking for her Senshi. One kiss was worth her escape, right? But she had Mamoru to think about...Did she really want to betray him again?

Oh for the love of god! She just had to do it!

Cupping his face with her tiny hands, Usagi leaned in and crashed her lips to his own. Shocked from her suddenness, Demando remained unresponsive for a moment, but finally reacted, pulling her up by the waist and holding her tightly to his body. Her hands migrated downwards where they rested against his chest. She could feel his rapid heartbeat, and the corners of her lips rose a bit as she smiled against their kiss, knowing that she was what had caused it. Demando turned her around to where her back was facing the door, and without breaking apart from her, he slowly seated himself on his throne, Usagi straddling his legs.

Usagi's lust had taken over her mind, driving her actions and newfound hunger to please Demando. Once again, her love for Mamoru took the backseat and she was overtaken by Demando's desires and her desires; _their _desires. She wanted to show him that she wanted him just as much as he did her. At this moment, she was entirely devoted to him; her heart, her mind, her body, and her soul entrapped by him. At this moment, she was his Queen, ready to fulfill any selfish wish of his. If he wanted to take her, then she would gladly hand over her body. Demando was _her _Prince, _her _King and she would do anything to please him.

It was Demando's turn to smile as he listened in on her thoughts. Little did his Princess know, these thoughts hadn't originated from her mind, instead, planted there by him. If that was the way to get her into his arms and his bed, then so be it. He'd gladly force her mind to be consumed with thoughts of only him. He had been a fool to not let Wiseman manipulate her; he was relishing this moment of heated passion with her. He could have this for an eternity if he allowed Wiseman to convert her.

Usagi gently traced the contour of his jaw with her fingertips, and shuddered as his hands slid down to her hips where they proceded to hold her down into place. Just like the beautiful lights in the pillars behind them, they were locked in a dark dance, reacting to each other's movements and slowly being consumed by each other. Mamoru crossed her mind again, his disapproving glare fresh in her mind, but she threw the image away. She no longer belonged to the man who wouldn't come to save her.

At this moment, she was in love with Demando.

Nothing would take her away from him; not even some petty rescue mission.

Petty rescue mission...

The Room of Darkness.

Rei.

Ami.

Makoto.

Her eyes opened.

What was she doing?

She turned her head slowly, their lips breaking contact with a gentle pop. Without even so much as looking at him, she climbed off Demando's lap and abruptly turned her back to him. She stared at the ground, her hair a curtain of gold surrounding her. Was this the way it was destined to be? Was she plagued by a fate in which she gave into every temptation and then refused it when she had already gone far too deep not only hurting herself but everyone else in the process? How could she have let this happen again? No matter how much she was attracted to Demando, no matter how much love she felt for him, things could never work between them. They hailed from two different worlds and she had a destiny to uphold.

She was so ashamed of herself. She had made the same mistake twice.

"There." She murmured. "You got what you wanted."

Demando took her hand into his own, and she peered over her shoulder, past the thick wall of her gold tresses, and found his violet eyes ablaze with fury.

"Stop teasing me," he snarled. "I hear your thoughts. You're in love with me. Don't try to deny it."

"I...I don't love you."

There was a moment of tense silence in which both parties attempted to find the right words to say next. Usagi was torn between caving into her feelings and doing what was right, while Demando was battling himself over whether not he should implant more thoughts into her mind or become enraged. In the end, it was Demando who spoke.

"I love you, surely that must count for something." He pressed, his tone teetering between tender sorrow and burning malice.

"It doesn't."

Her harsh words stung him, but instead of feeling immense sadness like he expected, he felt something a little different. He was angry. Very, very angry; angry at her for kissing him so passionately, angry at himself for letting her, angry at her rejection, and then finally angry at himself for divulging his feelings for her. He was angry he couldn't conquer her, and conquer her he now must. Serenity would belong to him in every way, even if she renounced him. She was his Princess, his Queen, and he would take her no matter the cost.

He would possess her even if he had to slaughter her soul in the process.

**End**

Eep! So Demando's pretty much gone off the deep end now and you'll see in the next chapter just what lengths he'll go to to have Usagi for his own. Next up: **After the Rain: Lady of the Clan**! I'll leave you to ponder on that and decide how it's related to chapter six. Would you kindly review? (;


	6. Lady of the Clan

It's my birthday today and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate it than to write a new chapter! Enjoy!

**After the Rain: Lady of the Clan**

"My Prince, we found the Princess unconscious just above the entrance to the Room of Darkness." Ishida reported as she pulled back the opaque, black canopy draped over the bed. Usagi lay still, her hands folded neatly over her stomach, her skin a chalky shade of white.

_Like a corpse,_ Demando thought to himself.

Her state stirred painful feelings within him. Like this, she looked so much like her future incarnation, the sleeping Empress of Crystal Tokyo, whom he wanted but could never have. Like this, she reminded him of how he had felt when he acted on his fury and fired at her, encasing her in that glass chrysalis. Like this, she was better off dead, for as long as her lungs still drew in breath she could still taunt him with her beauty and her irresistible charm. But at least like this she could not break his heart again. Serenity was a wicked temptress who had stolen into his life and changed things, veering him off course and distracting him from his objectives. He knew the effect she had on him, but could not find a way to tear himself away from her no matter how much his clan had wished; no matter how much _he _had wished so. He would not stop his quest for her until she was in her rightful place by his side.

He would have her at any cost, even if it meant risking his plan of revenge.

The woman he _had_ been obsessed with was the head-strong, lovely Queen. The girl of whom his love and obsession were centered around _now_ however, was the Princess. Princess Serenity was the embodiment of everything he had ever wanted in a woman, everything he had loved in Neo Queen Serenity, and everything that he could mold to his own selfish desires. Serenity was an intoxicating drug and he would not rest until she could think of no one but him.

He would not rest until her obsession with him grew to one equal of his for her.

Serenity was an ever so devoted, loyal wife to her darling Endymion, that Demando couldn't help but wonder how horrified she would be to wake up only to realize that her every breath was now committed to the White Prince; committed to him. Ah yes, the mere thought was too irresistible. He needed to make such a thought a reality. He needed Serenity to be a part of the clan.

He would gladly die to see the mark of the Black Moon grace her milky forehead.

Placing a light kiss on her brow, Demando peeled himself away from her sleeping form and looked at the captain of his guard with pleading eyes. She returned it with a knowing look of her own.

"I will have the servants prepare her for the assimilation ceremony, Prince Demando."

* * *

No longer did she appear as a corpse would.

Blood had returned to her cheeks, flushing the skin rosy pink. Her hair was fanned out underneath her, taken out of its normal style; Demando liked it better that way. She was wrapped in a ivory dress trimmed with obsidian lace that hugged all of the right places, yet left some up to the imagination.

"Are you ready to begin, highness?"

Ishida had abandoned her scythe, leaving it propped up against the door, and held out a box covered in incantations that had been painted on it's surface. Demando took it from her hands with care, placing it on the bed beside the Princess, before flipping the lid open. Imperial purple velvet lined the inside of the box, and in the center, resting on the cushion was a pair of earrings fashioned from the Jakokusuishou and a sliver of the crystal's core.

Every fiber of him, every sinew was filled with nervousness. His throat ran dry, his heart threatening to beat right out of his chest as he crawled on top of the frail girl, straddling her waist. He swallowed and fought against his inner hunger for the woman below him. Underneath him like this, with not a place to go, with neither means of escape nor a way of protest, she was in the perfect spot for him to make love to her. If only...

He hastily pulled his hand back as it crept towards her covered breasts, although he smiled appreciatively. He couldn't wait until he would get to enjoy her; _all _of her. However, for now, he needed to resist all urges, complete his task, and then he could have her in every way without the fear of brutal rejection. Perhaps she would not be accepting at first, but with one word he could melt away her resistance, her hatred, _her love for Endymion. _His blood boiled at the mere thought of his rival. When he was done, no longer would he have to think of such a man. His future and his Queen would be secured, that man left as an unpleasant memory to rot away like the Senshi in the Room of Darkness.

"Demando," Ishida pressed. "You must hurry before she awakens and stops you."

He didn't reprimand her for the use of his name without a title, ignoring her presence while he turned to the woman underneath him who stirred in her sleep. Her head thrashed to the side and her features contorted in pain; her lips forming a pout, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her brow furrowed.

_"Please! Don't hurt them!" _She cried out in her sleep. _"Demando! I'll do anything you say!"_

Her hands darted up to his jacket, yanking him down to where their noses barely touched.

"Please..." she whispered, her warm breath washing over his lips.

He groaned, partly from her touch and their proximity and partly from the dread he felt knowing that he would have to peel himself away. Gently prying her fingers off of his jacket, he held her tiny hands with his larger ones, and brushed her knuckles with his lips. Her lips curled into a smile and she mewled as Demando repeated his action once more. He could feel her stress slipping away as she was lulled back into peaceful sleep.

Releasing her hands, he traveled upwards and grasped her chin, forcing her lips to part and her mouth to open. He shot a glance at the box and lifted the shard of the Jakokusuishou out carefully, so not to snap it, for it was thin and fragile like the Princess it was soon to reside in. He hesitated for a moment as he looked at her, _really _looked at her. So pure, so beautiful...No matter how much he wanted her, did he want to extinguish her stubborn, fiery personality? Did he want her like _this_?_  
_

_I don't love you..._

"We'll see about that," he muttered angrily like a vengeful child, abandoning his second thoughts. Perhaps he would've thought harder and not gone through with this, had it not been for her disregard for his feelings. If she didn't care about him, why should he? She was just a woman after all; a woman that was his for the taking, his to love and possess.

Slipping the shard onto her tongue, he forced her mouth closed and ran his fingertips down her slender throat, feeling the rings of her trachea bob as she swallowed it. He could sense her mild discomfort and confusion as the shard traveled through her body, on its way to where it would rest forever. Just a few more seconds and it would nestle itself into her heart, forever unmoving.

A sudden sharp pain radiated from his thigh and he looked down to find her sharp nails digging into the fabric of his slacks. She cried out in pain, and bit her lip, thrashing and rolling with so much strength that Demando was forced off of her. Her limbs flailed aimlessly as her body was sent into a agonized frenzy and the skin above her heart glowed with a pulsing black light. Tears formed at the corner of her tightly shut eyes and she cried out in pain again, reaching for the closest thing she could find in an attempt to divert her agony onto it.

The thing she reached for was Demando who allowed her to curl her fingers around his wrists, squeezing tightly and piercing his skin with her nails. Droplets of blood formed from the crescent shaped marks, but he did not pry her fingers off and let her have her way. He owed it to her; it was his fault that she was experiencing something as excruciating as this. Although he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he had seen how horribly Rubeus, Esmeraude, the Ayakashi Sisters, and Ishida had reacted to it. Saphir had escaped without the need of such a thing, for he would follow his brother to Hell without so much as a single question. The others had not convinced Demando of such. That was the primary reason why he had enacted such a primitive practice. He needed to subdue their wills and keep them under his control.

Their unwavering loyalty came from the crystals in their heart that forever bound them to his will.

And now, Serenity would join them as his newest, loyal servant.

A malicious grin fought it's way onto his lips as he observed the Princess who had calmed down but still held him by the wrists. He bent over, his weight denting the mattress and placed a small kiss on her brow, fastening the earrings crafted from the Jakokusuishou onto her earlobes. They glowed in response to their new owner. Still grinning, Demando lifted her body off the bed.

Serenity was his lady now.

"Checkmate, Endymion."

* * *

_Warmth..._

That was the first sensation she felt as she came to. She was wrapped in something silky and warm, her ear pressed against something that thudded rhythmically. A chest. She rubbed her cheek against the fabric, purring like a kitten. Strong arms encircled her, hands resting on her hips and holding her to whomever she was sitting in the lap of. Her lashes fluttered and caressed her cheeks as she blinked a couple of times, adjusting her eyes to the brilliant white that filled her entire line of sight.

"Eh?"

Confused, she turned her head, only for the colors to shift and now she saw only black. Reaching out, she stroked the darkness with her fingers and found it to be silky to the touch; it was the warm thing that she had been covered with. She was filled with curiosity, wishing to see what lie beyond the barrier. Like a newly transformed butterfly, she emerged from her chrysalis, pushing the fabric back to reveal a room full of people with eyes locked on her. There must've been hundreds of eyes, hundreds of smug looks, _hundreds of black crescents winking at her. _A startled gasp escaped her lips and her eyes darted upwards where they met a very familiar pair of violet.

"Demando?!" She shouted and attempted to push him away. His grip was like an iron vice however, and held her in place. He offered a smile, but it made her sick for it was one that reeked of triumphant ego.

His fingers grasped her chin, and she was filled with dread, knowing that he was going to kiss her, but found herself surprised as he forced her to look upon the crowd again. She searched for a friendly face among all of them, but found none, not a single creature (they were not people in her eyes, rather, sick monsters) that was willing to offer any sympathy. Behind her, Demando nibbled on the tip of her ear and then brought his lips down to her shoulder, where he placed a wet kiss.

"Welcome to the clan, my lady."

**End**

Ah, I'm finally done with this chapter, which has probably been the hardest to write. I had a severe case of writer's block that finally subsided today (Fate's birthday present, I suppose). I'm curious to hear of what you thought of this chapter. Would you kindly review? (;

And one last thing, if you ever have any questions or need clarification on something, don't hesitate to ask. I don't bite...much. (;


	7. The Princess of the Black Moon

Ah, new characters. New vital characters. Enjoy.

**After the Rain: The Princess of the Black Moon**

"Monsters." she breathed, horrified.

They were all monsters, especially the devil in white behind her. They did not respect her, did not like her, and did not accept her as one of them, of which was glad. And yet, as a sense of duty, they all knelt one by one, swearing their loyalty to Prince Demando and Serenity, Princess of the White Moon and now, Lady of the Black Moon. Their smiles were fake, their eyes glimmering with smug satisfaction. They wanted to see her like this; horrified, with not a single person to turn to. They wanted to see her hopeless, for surely, this was quenching their desire for vengeance on the Queen who had done them wrong. Usagi was _not _Neo Queen Serenity though, she was not the woman that they should be punishing.

Had she done wrong for simply being the younger incarnation of a Queen who had wronged this clan? Did she deserve punishment for actions that she wouldn't carry out for another millenium?

Usagi didn't think so. None of this, none of it, was her fault. She had not made the decision to force everyone into purification by the Ginzuishou; _Usagi _had not inadvertently created the Black Moon Clan and their lust for vengeance. So why was it that they were filled with such a sense of delight from seeing her suffer?

She felt sick.

Her stomach flopped around in her abdominal cavity, arousing waves of nausea within her. Faces blurred, colors blurred, stars swam in her vision as she became heavily disoriented. A nagging pain in her chest had blossomed and she hoped that for a moment that she would find herself contracting a heart attack so she would die. She could not take this any longer. Her legs ached with the need to get up and run as far as she could; run until she would collapse from exhaustion, run until she was as far away from Demando and these monsters as possible. He had said he loved her, but did he know of what the word meant? Did he know that _this _was not the way to win her heart? To take her away from everything she knew and loved, only to thrust this horror upon her in an effort to crush her soul beneath his heel?

_He is a man of dominance, a man who takes what he wants without considering the repercussions of his actions._

Usagi did not need to ask him what he had done; she felt the changes. Her lunar blood mingled with something darker as it coursed through her veins and she could _feel _her thoughts slowly blacken. She was consumed with such strong negative emotions: hate, anger, loneliness, abandonment. Every horrible thing she had felt since her arrival on Nemesis hit her at once like a bullet aimed straight for her heart. Where were her friends in all of this? Her love? Were they just going to leave her here to be forever subjected to Demando's will and lust?

Tears burned in her eyes and once again she found herself searching the crowd that seemed to span for miles. She knew that her friends were _not _here, she knew Mamoru was _not_ here, but still she was filled with hope that they _would_ be out there waiting for her. Her eyes hopped from person to person until they met those of a man who looked so much like her beloved Mamoru, yet she knew from his icy stare that he was not her lover. The man she looked upon was Saphir, Demando's younger brother. He had foiled her initial escape along with that other man. If he hadn't stopped her, she could've escaped this nightmare long before any of this came to pass. She found herself glaring at him, but as if she were not even worth his time, he quickly averted his eyes to the ground beneath him. It was apparent that he did not take pleasure from watching her suffer like all of the others.

_You don't deserve to be sitting on my brother's throne._

Those words coiled around her brain, choking every last thought out of the mass like an anaconda until they were all that was left. He was miles away from her, but she could hear his voice, _feel _it. Animosity dripped from every syllable and he addressed her in a way designed to make her feel inferior.

She was not.

"Serenity," Demando purred from behind her. "Do you wish to retire to _our_ bedchambers? I do believe we started something that was left unfinished."

A hiss passed through her clenched teeth as Demando's head came to rest on her shoulder and his content purr filled her ears. He gently nipped on the soft flesh of her neck and she squirmed from the discomfort. Usagi was sick and tired of everyone on this planet treating her as if she was some sort of weak, injured animal that they could kick around. She was Sailor Moon, she was a warrior! She would not let them mistreat her like this! Every single one of them would pay for her pain and humiliation. Starting with the orchestrator of it all...

_"Get away from me!" _She roared, turning and striking Demando with her fist. Her eyes were squeezed shut tightly, and she felt her fist connect with something fleshy, but hard. Bone. Demando emitted a hiss, paired with a low rumble. Her blow had not been painful, rather the impact too sudden for him to prepare for. The room was filled with the shocked gasps of the clan members and then it fell eerily silent. No one struck their Prince and lived to tell the tale. They were eager to see how this would play out, seeing as his attacker was the woman he was so taken with.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He snarled and grabbed her wrists roughly. "You dare strike me, Serenity?! Do you know of your place?!"

"My place is most certainly _NOT _here!"

Her hands balled into tiny fists and she shook his hands off her wrists, standing up and scowling at him. She knew her place all right and it was in the arms of Mamoru, not this horrid excuse for a Prince. She was getting out of here as soon as possible, Senshi or not. If they weren't going to come for her, then she would save herself.

"Sit down!" He bellowed as he stood up and pointed to the now empty throne.

"I'm not going to let you just order me around!" She retorted, readying her fists for another blow.

Demando scowled. He would not tolerate her insubordination. If her wish was to learn the hard way of the hold he had on her, then so be it.

"As Prince of the Black Moon Clan, I order you to kneel before me!" He growled his command.

_Badump._

A piercing pain radiating from her chest sent her falling to her knees, collapsing at Demando's feet, and clawing at the floor. She found herself staring at his impeccably clean dress shoes with wide eyes, her head pounding. Her breathing was frantic and shallow as she attempted to draw oxygen into her shriveling lungs, each breath a loud, dramatic gasp for air. Her heart was on fire and felt like it was being pricked simultaneously by millions of pins. Her veins no longer carried blood, rather, lead that weighed her body down and kept her kneeling at the foot of the White Prince. With a smug smirk on his lips, he sunk down into his throne.

"Poor Serenity," he cooed, lifting his foot to where it touched her chin. He forced her head back to where she looked up at him, her cerulean eyes burning with unshed tears. "Did you really think that you were going to get away with such irreverence? I must commend your efforts, however. Even with the blood of my clan coursing through your veins, you still stand against me. I would expect nothing less from you."

She was hauled up from the ground as he drew her back onto his lap and gently stroked her hair as if he were petting a wounded cat. Usagi had never felt so humiliated in her life. She cringed as his tongue gently grazed the surface of her cheek, lapping her tears away. Every part of her body had betrayed her, for she remained still although she wanted nothing more than to lash out at him again for treating her in such a way. It mattered not that she openly despised him and had defied him; he was still irrevocably obsessed with her.

"Shall I ease your pain?" His voice was a low drawl in her ear.

She squeaked something that was a hybrid between an agreement and a refusal, but it wouldn't have mattered what she had said anyway for Demando's hand had already torn away the flimsy fabric covering the skin where her heart lay beneath. He drew his cape around her to shield her naked chest from the hungry eyes of his male subjects; only he would be allowed to see such parts of her. He leaned down and gently grazed the burning spot with his ice cold fingertips, Usagi drawing in a sharp breath as Demando placed a light, lingering kiss just above her left breast. Usagi was awestruck as instantly that sharp, stabbing pain subsided until it was nothing more than a nagging tingle. Her breath was no longer shallow and ragged, and her body felt as if a crushing weight had been lifted off of her. She felt a hundred times stronger than she had just seconds before.

"Better?" Demando asked softly as he pulled away from her to look her in the eyes.

"Y-Yes." Her reply was hesitant, for she was unsure of why Demando had suddenly become so tender and gentle.

Her expression must've betrayed her confusion, because he offered her a genuine smile and drew her in, holding her against his firm torso. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, though she doubted his sincerity. "I just need you to cooperate, Serenity. I'll have a servant bring you a cloak and we can get on with the ceremony."

"Ceremony?"

He provided her with no further information and motioned one of the women closest to the throne to come forth. She was a frail thing, barely five feet tall and probably not even one hundred pounds. Her hair was a sea of soft, shimmering waves of aqua and her bewildered eyes were similar in color. As she took slow steps towards them, Usagi was finally able to tear her gaze away from her gentle, child-like beauty and notice why Demando had picked her out of the crowd. The poor girl was practically swallowed up by the fluffy white cloak that hung from her delicate shoulders and by the looks of it, it must've been heavy for she was slightly hunched over.

"Prince, Princess," she curtsied when she arrived within a yard of the throne. With one fluid motion, she unfastened the cloak and with a deep sigh, held it out to them.

Demando growled. "Bring it here."

The girl peered over her shoulder at a young woman—her sister perhaps—who nodded and made a slight motion with her hand telling her to do as Demando ordered. Usagi sympathized with the trembling girl as she closed the gap in between herself and the throne and held out the cloak again, flinching as the White Prince tore it from her grasp and draped it on Usagi's shoulders. She was clearly frightened by Demando, just as Usagi was.

"That will be all." Demando ground out through his clenched teeth.

Usagi looked up at him quizzically and drew the cloak around her body tighter. His icy stare was still fixed on the quivering girl who shakily made her way back to the spot she had inhabited before she had been called out of the crowd. Why was he so angry with her? She hadn't done anything wrong, quite the opposite actually.

"Wait." Usagi called out to her and slid off Demando's lap. She glided over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. Past the gleaming waves of hair, she could see the girl's frightened aqua eyes shining with unshed tears. It broke Usagi's heart. Why was this girl afraid of her too? The Princess whispered softly "Thank you."

The room was filled with gasps again as Usagi spun the girl around and pulled her into a tight hug. She was unresponsive for a moment, her arms hanging limply at her sides, before she suddenly returned the hug with much more force than Usagi could've ever thought possible for such a tiny creature. She buried her face in the wisps of fur clinging to the cloak she had surrendered. Her heartbeat was a gentle thud against Usagi's own and quite comforting to her apparently, for she held on to the Moon Princess tightly with not a single intention to be letting her go anytime soon.

"Tourmaline, release the Princess at once!"

The girl, her name now known to be Tourmaline, pushed Usagi away roughly and then realized her fatal mistake. Demando roared with fury and hurriedly stood up from his throne. The shadows seemed to collect around him as he took threatening steps towards the mortified Tourmaline, each footfall announced by a loud clack. His angular features had been marred by a fierce scowl and his violet eyes stared down Tourmaline in a vicious manner. With a grimace, Usagi stepped in between him and the cowering girl at her feet, spreading her arms wide to protect her as Mamoru had once done for her during their first encounter with the White Prince.

"Serenity," his tone was dangerous and commanding. "Move."

"No." She growled with a fury equal to his own.

_Slap!_

The sound reverberated, filling the room with the sharp sound. Usagi's head was frozen in place, snapped to the side, her azure eyes staring at the ground incredulously. Demando's violet orbs widened as he gazed at the hand that had just struck his Princess.

He had promised her. He had promised himself. He promised that he would never hit her again like he had so foolishly done in the dining hall that one night. After seeing her so broken and hate-filled, he had made that promise to her that he would never do such a thing ever again and she had trusted him. What kind of man was he to lie to his goddess?

"I—Serenity...I'm sorry." He choked out and reached for her. Her eyes were still locked on the ground beneath. "Please, look at me."

Slowly, her head did turn in his direction and he internally sighed in relief that she readily answered his command. Perhaps she realized that he had just been caught up in the moment and he hadn't meant to slap her.

But then he saw her eyes.

They were dry and emotionless, glaring at him with pure animosity in a way that made Neo-Queen Serenity's own livid scowl look like the warmest, most welcoming expression in the world. He was not mesmerized by these eyes and did not ever want her to look at him this way again.

"My name is Usagi." She said, her voice deadly calm which scared the White Prince more than anything. "You will not touch Tourmaline, nor I ever again."

She turned sharply and held a hand out to the crumpled, broken mess of a girl on the ground. Tourmaline looked up at the Princess with teary eyes and hesitantly reached forward, but pulled her hand away.

"It's alright," Usagi soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Tourmaline's hand was ice cold, but Usagi still gripped it firmly and hauled her to her feet. She smiled and gave her a gentle shove in her companion's direction. The girl was innocent and didn't deserve to incur Demando's wrath. Besides, Usagi was about to have a few words with him herself. Not even bothering to turn around, she started speaking in that calm tone of hers that dropped the temperature of the room twenty degrees.

"You are a liar, Demando. A cowardly liar. I cannot ever believe that I thought it was a sound idea to throw away my love for Mamoru for the likes of you. You don't love me and you have not a single shred of respect for me or anyone else. _I. hate. you. so. much._"

As soon as the last syllable passed her lips, that eery silence fell over the room once more. There was no big outburst, no dramatic show of power on Demando's part, and the clan said nothing. Usagi's hands had unconsciously balled into tiny fists once more that were quivering with unreleased tension at her sides.

"I hate you." She said again.

This time, their was a response for her words. A small group in the front, including Tourmaline and her companion, turned towards Usagi and bowed, their eyes revealing their deep respect. They appeared regal and majestic with their heavily decorated uniforms, much like the ones Usagi had seen only on generals, and their delicate, yet strong bodies.

"We swear allegiance to Princess Serenity. Only Serenity." A man announced and reached for Usagi's hand, placing a light kiss on the back of it. He could've been Demando's twin, save for his hair that was long enough to hang at the small of his back and had a thick grey stripe in it, along with his eyes which were also stone grey. Other than that, their builds were similar and their features were both angular and sharp.

"You are not allowed to do such a thing, Howlite." Demando hissed, finally speaking. "I should behead you all for such heresy!"

Those grey eyes fixed on the White Prince with not a single drop of emotion, but screamed defiance.

"You are in no place to command us anymore, Demando." He exclaimed, dropping Demando's title. "Our loyalty now lies with the Princess. Her will is what we shall obey."

Judging from an animalistic sound that resonated from Demando—something in between a hiss and growl—he was not content with Howlite's answer.

"Very well, _traitor. _If it is the Princess that you follow then I have no authority over you. Unless of course I..."

Usagi gasped as a circlet of heavy, masterfully carved silver was sat atop her head. It seemingly weighed her whole body down and sent shivers down her spine. She reached a shaking hand up to touch it, only for her arm to be jerked backwards, sending her crashing against Demando. He roughly grasped her wrist and produced a ring from the pocket of his slacks and grabbed the back of her head, claiming her lips with his own as he slipped the silver object on her finger. He was all smiles as he pulled away from her, although they were so very wicked.

"...declare Serenity the crown Princess of the Black Moon and take her as my wife. Then both she _and _you treacherous fools will belong to me."

**End**

Lots of stuff happened in this chapter, which is so far the longest one in this story and hopefully I can make that a trend! So Usagi's now the official Princess of the Black Moon and gained a few followers for stepping up for dear Tourmaline, along with being forced into an engagement. Next chapter, our dear friend Saphir will appear with a larger role and in all his jealous glory! See you around! Would you kindly review and tell me what you thought? (;

**Review Responses (I'll do these for questions)-**

_ - _You'll see and I promise you won't be disappointed.

_Guest- _I wrote a few drafts of chapter six, but ended up not liking it too much so I scrapped it. Originally, I had Usagi stumble upon the room accidentally but when she realized what is was, her energy was drained and Demando appeared, leaving it up to the reader to decide if the Jakokusuishou had drained her energy or if Demando had. As for the other Senshi and Mamoru, their fate will be revealed soon (next chapter kind of soon). And finally, only time will tell if Usagi can find the strength to overcome Demando, but you can be sure she's going to try her hardest. (:


	8. Hiatus

Okay, it's been more than a month now and after fruitlessly drafting chapter eight over and over, I have come to the conclusion that I've lost interest in Dem/Usa. I actually never thought a day would come when my other ships (N/White and Ga/Le, particularly) would overtake my strange interest in this pairing. As I started working on other fics for other fandoms that I have yet to post, Sailor Moon just took the backseat. It's strange how a pairing that I've been fascinated with since I was a child slipped away so easily.

**I'm not going to leave After the Rain hanging.** I owe it to everyone and to myself to finish it. However, updates will be slower, due to the fact that school has just started and that it will be a tad harder for me to really get involved in the story. You may see a few one-shots here and there as I try to regain my love for this pairing, and you'll probably see me work in other fandoms for a while. Some of my other fics that I'm still working on are in jeopardy, like Taking Over for instance. I won't go into detail about why that one is hard for me to finish, and I'll focus on the fic at hand.

I've really enjoyed writing After the Rain and hearing your responses, plus getting in touch with some of my readers who I occasionally chat with over PM (you guys know who you are). I've made friends through writing this, and improved my skills. I've corrected a mistake I've been making for a long time (thanks Luna Goddess of the Night!) and just seen a general improvement in my style.

It saddens me to have to put this on hold for a while, because it was just getting good!

I appreciate everyone who has read this story; the ones that will wait out the storm with me and stick with this as I slowly update, and the ones who will never read this again. Each and every one of you has done wonders for my confidence and pride, and I am thankful.

If you're upset, angry, or whatever, feel free to say so. Review, PM me; I can take it. I'll respond. I know this is sudden and probably disappointing for all. I truly do apologize.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

-DeathRace6000


	9. A Brother's Jealousy

It's amazing how much power words have over me. Just a few messages managed to convince me to upload the most recent draft of chapter eight that I had (I wrote it over a month ago), with a few basic edits. As a warning, if you love Saphir, you're going to hate me a lot for this chapter. Annnd, things get a little...crazy. I'm still sticking with my hiatus, but this is my apology gift. Hopefully it can tide you all over until I can find my inspiration again. Enjoy!

**After the Rain: A Brother's Jealousy**

_"It's your fault my brother changed."_

Saphir's face hovered inches above Usagi's, malicious navy eyes keeping her in place. A dagger formed from a shard of the Jakokusuishou was pressed against her throat, slowly biting into the flesh and drawing blood, which trickled down her neck. Her hair was matted to her skin by a thin layer of sticky sweat, and stained a deep crimson around her neck area.

"I-I..."

There wasn't anything she could say to convince him. There wasn't anything she could say to bring him back from the madness he had dove head first into. Her chest rose and fell just as fast, loud pants filling the room. She blinked once, twice, thrice at him. She had never seen Saphir show one ounce of emotion, but right now as he pinned her down to the cool, smooth floors every ounce of that hidden anger had come out. His furrowed brow, lips curled into a nasty snarl, and those horrid eyes gave it all away.

_He hated her._

She swallowed in an attempt to lubricate her throat that had long dried before. It did nothing to soothe it. There were so many things she wanted to say, but the words slipped away as soon as she'd part her lips. Slowly, very slowly she was losing her nerve.

"You bitch!" He shouted and dug the dagger even further into her skin, earning a whimper from her.

"I'll scream." Usagi said slowly, casting a sideways glance at the door. "They'll come."

It was her only card to play, and she already knew that it meant nothing to him. His angered glare didn't waver, his hand didn't twitch, and the dagger was not pulled away from her throat at the slightest. Usagi knew very well that if she were to cry out, _someone _would come. They were always around, close enough to hear her. Ishida, Howlite, even the frail Tourmaline...and then, Demando. She never saw him, but he was always there in some shape or form. It was rare to shake him.

"Go ahead; scream. I'll just slit your throat and be done with you, my Queen."

Sarcasm dripped from his words as he addressed her by that title she detested with a passion. Usagi hated it when any of them referred to her by title, or by "Serenity". She wasn't Serenity. It was as if all of them wanted her to fill a role she was not ready for, and she knew all too well as to why. If she was Serenity, if she was _Queen Serenity_, their revenge would be so much sweeter than if they had thought of her as Usagi. They enjoyed watching _Serenity_ be forced into Demando's arms, and live each sufferable day second by second.

"I don't see why he's so in love with-"

"He doesn't love me. It's lust."

For the first time (or at least to her knowledge), Saphir laughed. It was a dark chuckle that was barely audible, but still a laugh.

"Your intelligence is lacking. Your body is frail, and weak. You're not beautiful like everyone says." Saphir's hand moved from her wrist, upwards, and gently caressed her warm cheek. He had now moved closer, their noses barely touching, breaths mingling as they simultaneously exhaled. "You're just a powerless girl, and yet I find not a single ounce of pity for you."

"Move away from me." She whispered.

"No. I want him to see you like this. Beneath me, vulnerable, _betraying him._"

"Wha?"

Saphir's navy eyes slowly closed, eyelids veiling his furious blue orbs. His head tilted slightly, and tenderly his lips touched hers. Immediately, her eyes widened in complete shock and confusion. His dagger was still held against her throat, slowly drawing her blood that spilled out onto the floor, yet he was _kissing _her. He hated her, and had spent the last hour threatening her life, yet he was kissing _her. _So many thoughts, so many emotions flooded through Usagi. She pitied him so, hated him so, wanted to help him, wanted to kill him. More than anything, she desperately wanted to throw him off, but lacked the power and energy to do so. He had accused her of lacking intelligence when he was the one who lacked sanity. He was just as mad as Demando. He was mad just like _all _of them were.

_Clink._

The dagger had been discarded, thrown aside and freeing his other hand, which slowly crept up her leg. Her dress inched up higher and higher, his hand trailing closely behind. A gentle moan escaped his throat, disgusting Usagi who clamped her lips together as tightly as she could to deny his frenzied tongue access. A light nip was delivered to her lower lip, and her body squirmed in discomfort, grinding up against him, and eliciting another moan from Saphir. His movements were unlike Demando's, and unlike Mamoru's. While both her captor and her lover were experienced, and fueled by their emotions when they kissed her, Saphir was unsure, scattered, robotic, and it was as if he was following a manual. Do this, do that. If she hadn't have been in such an uncomfortable position, she may have laughed.

"He killed to keep you here," Saphir rasped as he pulled away from her to draw in a few deep breaths. "Those who challenged him for possession of you _died _at his blood-stained hands."

Her thin dress had hiked up to her waist, exposing her undergarments to him. His greedy hands rested on her thighs, his thumbs tracing light circles on the flesh.

"Your Senshi died, so that Demando could keep you here without worrying that they would come to retrieve you." He grinned.

Usagi's eyes widened.

_They-They're dead? _

No.

Rei, Ami, Makoto, Minako...they were all dead? She was...all alone? She'd searched for all this time, desperately looking, escaping her guards and fleeing into the night to find them. And they were...dead? A lump formed in the blonde Princess's throat, and her cerulean eyes sparkled with tears. Ever since she'd heard they were in the Room of Darkness, hope had driven her on and fueled every action she made. Every desire, every wish, every hope she had had shattered. Saphir's words were boulders that had been pushed over a cliff and fallen onto her glass-like wants. There was no longer anything for her. Part of her knew that this has always been a possiblity, but another couldn't believe it to be true. After everything...

She choked back a sob.

They'd already been through so much together. They had already _died _once before. Because of...her. Mamoru had died because of her. Was her fate so intertwined with death that it would follow her in every lifetime?

Past the tears, she could make out that glittering crescent on Saphir's forehead. That foreboding, black mark that she hated so. Why did they have to exist? Why did she have to inhabit the same realm as the Black Moon Clan? Was it not bad enough that she had been stolen from her own time, her own home, her own _family _and trapped like a broken, bloodied dove in a steel cage? Was it not bad enough that she had witnessed the death of the man she had died for a millennium ago during the destruction of the Moon Kingdom? Those horrible images of Mamoru, lying still on the ground, his body still twitching and flinching ever so slightly still haunted her. So much blood...so much pain. And when he had _fallen_! When he had been brought to the brink of death and pushed over the edge by the rain of black crystals.

Usagi's life ended right after the rain. She just didn't know it at the time. Everything had gone haywire since she had stepped into the ruined, thirtieth century Earth. Chibiusa fleeing, meeting King Endymion, facing off with Esmeraude, Demando and Wiseman's entrance into her life. Every event since then flashed in her mind, reeling in front of her.

She could've done something when Demando appeared. She should've never let Mamoru battle him alone, while she so cowardly stuck behind him. Perhaps the suffering she had endured upon arrival to Nemesis had been penance for that cowardly act of hers. She had been conscious of every action made as she was lulled into that trance by Demando's hypnotic eye. She'd screamed, fought, but in the end she still took his hand and sealed her fate. In that room, when she had awoken, perhaps if she would've been more powerful she could've activated her Ginzuishou. Perhaps she would've broken out, saved her friends, and no one else would have died.

Usagi's life was so filled with perhapses now. Perhaps this, perhaps that. All she could do was relive tragic events, and think about what she should have done and how it could've made things different.

Hardly did she think of herself as weak, but she had let herself be drawn in twice, _twice _and had she not thought of the consequences, had she not stopped herself...Perhaps things would've been worse than they were now. If that was possible.

Heh, perhaps.

A cool, fluttering touch on her abdomen sent her head reeling, and her blood crystalizing into ice. The tips of Saphir's fingers gently danced around her navel, as he stared at her with a look that was dying for some sort of negative response to his horrid actions. Just like Demando, he hated to be ignored, and craved the fury of others. They fed off sharp glares, heated outbursts. So different, yet so alike...

"He's going to be so _jealous_ when he sees us, Neo-Queen Serenity. He'll be so jealous to see his precious Princess being taken by another man."

Saphir's lips had spread into a feral, crazed grin. His eyes were wide and bloodshot. He was every inch the madman that Usagi had thought him to be. A thought suddenly settled in her mind. She had known what his intentions were, but now, light had been shed on the why. She was given insight into his mind for just a brief, passing moment. All of this...He was about to rape her because he was jealous?

"When he sees you cry out in ecstasy, he'll be so furious that he'll _have _to take your life. And then we'll be rid of a plague. He'll be _all mine _like he always had been, and always was."

All his? The way he said it sent shivers crawling through her. His tone was possessive, as if Usagi had taken away something very important away from him. She'd only ever heard this tone applied to one situation. Once, as she flew down the hallway rushing to the cafeteria, she'd heard a brief excerpt of an argument, but managed to piece together the situation from the limited dialogue provided. Two girls bickered over who would be allowed to date a certain boy. _That's _where she had heard it.

Saphir's feelings for Demando were obviously deeper than a simple brotherly love.

"You're insane." Usagi gasped, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

The room was filled with his mad cackle as his gloved fingers slowly undid the buttons of his jacket. As each button popped open, his pale torso was slowly revealed, covered in skin that had never seen the sun. He shrugged his jacket off, and as it tumbled to the floor, the tiny metal crystals collided with one another with light pings. He tugged at his gloves with his teeth, removing them in such an animalistic fashion and then seizing Usagi's wrists to pin her arms above her head. His weight was crushing to Usagi who rested helplessly under him, his legs straddling her thin waist.

"He was _my _brother before all of you came along. Berthier, Koan, Calaveras, Petz, Rubeus, Esmeraude, Wiseman, and you," his firm index finger jabbed her right in the chest. "All of you wanted him for yourselves. _All of you took him away from me! _Don't pretend that you're so righteous and loyal to that Prince of yours who is nothing more than a corpse now. You desired my brother and led him astray with your lies and games. He defied the laws of time so that he could have you in his bed as his Queen! He ignored our plans, because of _YOU! _He turned away from me, because of _YOU!_ I cannot allow you to exist in this world anymore, _Serenity. _I will free my brother from your cursed enchantment!"

A stinging slap was delivered to her cheek. Usagi clamped her eyes shut and bit back another sob. Never had she imagined herself in such a position. Demando knew when to stop, and she knew how to make him stop. He knew when he went too far. Saphir however...She was going to lose herself to him. That sinking feeling in the lowest pits of her stomach told her so. He wouldn't stop, and she was going to lose her life to him. After all that she had lost, her friends, her love, her power, she only had her chastity and life left. And Saphir would take it all away.

Only one last thing she could do.

Her lips parted as she screamed, wailing loudly, hoping someone would hear her, but only was allowed a moment before Saphir silenced her with a kiss. He shoved his tongue in her mouth roughly as his hands went to work on the rest of her.

"Demando was so pleased when you almost gave yourself to him that night in his room. And then he was so crushed when you did it again on _his throne _only to reject his love after you had so willingly kissed him. There's so much that you did during those two events alone to make me hate you, vile woman."

"You think I wanted to do any of that?" Usagi retorted. "I lose all will when he's around, and the longer I stay the worse it gets! Every passing moment I spend here, I lose another shred of myself and I'm _scared, _so scared that eventually, I won't be me! If you want me to give myself to him, by all means send me into his bedchambers right now and let him command my body as he wishes!"

"I would never let his hands be stained by the likes of you!" He hissed. "The last person who will ever touch you will be-"

Suddenly, Saphir stopped. His eyes widened knowingly, and he clawed at his throat. A hand was curled around his neck. Usagi gasped as he was lifted off of her and brought up off the ground to stare her savior in the eye.

"The last person to touch her will be who?" Demando asked curiously, his head cocked to the side and his calm tone never faltering. "You?"

"Brother..."

Demando's grip tightened, causing Saphir to sputter. Usagi swore she heard a faint crack. His face was tinted with a light shade of red. By the neck, the White Prince brought his younger brother closer, to where their noses almost touched, and to where his piercing glare had an even larger effect.

"You should have never touched her, Saphir. She's _my Princess_. She's the woman you are to bow to."

"Brother..." Saphir wheezed in response.

"How am I to trust anyone, when you of all people has committed such a foul act against me?" Demando questioned. "Assaulting the Princess is an act worthy of death. I _should _kill you..."

A faint smile, just a glimmer of sadism was present on Demando's features for a passing moment. He squeezed his neck again, another smile passing as Saphir choked, and then he released him. The navy haired man crumbled to the floor, panting. A single hand was outstretched towards his brother.

"Get out of my sight, Saphir." The White Prince ordered, without so much as a glance in his brother's direction.

With not a single word of protest, Saphir did as told, leaving Usagi and Demando all alone. He slowly strode over to the broken girl, who had curled up into a tiny ball, sobbing. He knelt down on a single knee and gently stroked her disheveled, blood stained hair.

"I should've kept a better eye on you." He whispered. "But it was hard to when you ran off like that. I told you not to leave my side and you disobeyed me. Once we treat your wounds, expect punishment."

She looked up, her eyes still glittering with unshed tears. A small hiccup escaped her lips, and she gingerly took his outstretched hand. He helped her to her feet, and caught her as she stumbled forward slightly from the dizziness brought on by blood loss. Her fingertips sought the wound on her neck, and skimmed over the bloody surface. Red stained her skin as she pulled her hand away to observe it.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Usagi was at a loss for what to say. One part of her attempted to coax a word of thanks out, while the other wanted to turn away from him and walk out as if it never even happened. And then another part wanted to know something...

She was caught slightly off guard as he pulled her into a tight embrace, showering her with light kisses. However, it didn't distract her from her agenda. She needed to ask, and know if what Saphir had said was true. Every act from here on out would depend on the answer.

"Did you kill them? My Senshi?" She asked.

"Mhm." He muttered. The way he answered so bluntly...

"Why?" She pressed, tensing in his arms.

"They were a nuisance. Useless things that got in the way."

Demando was unprepared for the punch Usagi threw. Her tiny, quivering fist connected with his jaw, a loud pop sounding on contact. He cursed and then seized her by her upper arms. Cerulean eyes glared at him with an unrivaled fury. It was the second time she had punched him (the third time she had hit him), and it still felt just as great. For a small moment, she felt in control.

"You're going to let me go." She growled.

"No."

"I'm prepared to fight for my freedom."

"With what?"

"A sword. I'll duel you."

The White Prince smirked at the little spitfire of a Princess in front of him. He'd just saved her from being raped by his brother, and he was not met with even a word of thanks. Instead she wanted to battle him for her freedom.

"Alright then," he purred. "We'll have a little sword fight, my dear. If you win, I'll let you go, but if I win...you marry me, and willingly become my wife. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes." Usagi hissed.

"Then I will meet you on the battle field, _Usagi-hime._"

**End**

That's bound to hit a sore spot. The next chapter will of course be their duel, and I'll post it whenever I can actually manage to write it. Thanks for putting up with this rough time I'm going through, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Would you kindly review?


	10. Piercing Sword

****I moved into an apartment that has terrible internet service. The provider is attempting to fix my connection, but for now I must resort to other means to upload my fics. Enjoy!

**After the Rain: Piercing Sword**

"I don't want to do this." Usagi said as the breastplate was slipped over her head.

Howlite fiddled with the thick metal, wiggling it slightly as he attempted to fit it to her. His stony eyes stared at her flatly.

"All will be fine. Your skill far surpasses that of the average man. I doubt there is anything to worry about." He reassured.

The sword sheathed in its scabbard dangled from her waist and felt as if weighed one hundred pounds. It hung as an ominous mass at her side, taunting her with the fear of defeat. She'd held it for hours on end in the time she'd been given to prepare, three days, yet it still felt foreign. It was an uncomfortable weight beside her, and in her hand as well. A weapon capable of tearing the flesh like a knife to butter was her only hope for salvation. All she had to do was win, and maybe she'd even kill Demando.

No...

Usagi couldn't kill anyone. Even someone with as dark of a heart as he. Death _wasn't _inevitable. It was not like her to kill unless absolutely neccessary. She could win this battle with a few strategically placed hits that wounded him enough to defeat his chances of reigning victorius. But of course, she most definitely would indulge in raining injuries upon him. It was only fair. After causing her so much pain, so much heartbreak, so much despair...She deserved a chance at revenge. And what better time to exact it upon him than now? Oh, it would be most pleasing to watch blood poor from the body of the man who made so many _advances _on her, while simultaneously gaining her freedom.

"Light thoughts," Tourmaline's child-like voice whispered from behind. Her hands ghosted over Usagi's chest, right above her heart. "Feeding it wouldn't be a good idea."

Wise words. Often, Usagi forgot how difficult it was to maintain positivity. The Jakokusuishou fed off of negative energy, it fed off of her negative emotions and feelings. Allowing herself to entertain violent desires was counterproductive to her goal. It would only increase the power held over her.

"You're going to win, Princess." Tourmaline beamed, skipping around her and coming to stand next to Howlite. Her hand unconsciously sought his as it often did. "You're already better than most of the royal guard."

_It's not the royal guard I'm up against, _Usagi thought to herself.

The corner of Tourmaline's mouth twitched. "You forget that I hear you, Princess. Demando hardly ever uses a sword, so it is doubtful that he is good."

"Is it?" A voice purred from the entrance of the room. "There are many things that you do not know about me dear traitors."

The sea of aqua waves shielded Tourmaline's face from view as she bowed her head, so not to look Demando in the eye. Howlite's expression remained as flat and emotionless as ever, his stance one likened to that of a statue. Usagi dared not look back at him, for she knew a rage would overcome her and that was what he desired. Anger fueled that horrid crystal that dug into her heart. Anger fueled his unwavering control over her.

"Leave us." He commanded.

"And who are you to order us-"

"Go." Usagi's voice cracked. "I'll meet up with you two later."

Just like the ominous weight of the sword, the sound of the door closing with a thud filled Usagi with fear. It was never wise to place herself in a position in which she was alone with the White Prince, yet at the same time, it was wise to abide by his wishes, lest someone face untimely death. It was picking between two posions. She'd much rather bear the weight of it, than to have her only friends dead before her eyes.

She crossed her arms, ground her teeth, and did her very best to keep her expression as lifeless as Howlite's, for she knew nothing good would come from engaging him in an argument. For now, she needed to conserve her energy, and save her anger so that she could channel it in hopes of using her fury as a second weapon on the battle field. Much to her surprise, Demando's footfalls were near silent, unlike the loud clicks that she was used to. His usual shoes must've been traded out for boots, as hers had.

She was thankful for the sleeves that shielded her arms from his grasp, no matter how thin they were, as his hands fell upon her upper arms. His brooding form settled in behind her, casting a tall shadow on her small body.

"We don't have to do this, my love..." He breathed, his breath lightly skimming her jawbone. "Fighting is useless when all that must be done is for you to speak the words of your surrender."

"No." Usagi responded.

His fingertips sought her cheek, and gently turned her head, providing her with a glimpse of him out of the corner of her crystalline eyes. His own were partially closed, half lidded, and his lips were parted with lust. The hand on her arm, along with the one that lingered on her cheek migrated south, coming to rest on the womanly curves where her waist met her hips. As if she wouldn't notice, he stepped a centimeter closer, and pulled her to him. Even through the heavy armor and fabric that lie beneath, she could feel the firm, rock solidness of his body and cringed in disgust as something else lightly prodded at her lower back.

She gnawed on her tongue, curled her toes, and tried with all of her might to not clench her fists. His actions were all to obvious, and spoke what his words did not. He hadn't come to _just _convince her to back out of their duel. It was the one thing he tried night after night, the one goal he pursued with undying voracity. His desire was to make her his wife in a way other than slipping a ring on her finger.

It was difficult to not be reminded of the instances in which she had been so close to falling, and they were so fresh in her mind now that Saphir had mentioned them when he...

That too was difficult to not be reminded of whenever Demando made a pass at her.

Never had the thought of sexual assault been so real, such a realistic possibility. She had thought at the time that Demando would be unwilling to go even that far, that he would place limitations there, but did she really _know _that? Fueled by lust rather than hatred, would he be lost in a storm of one-sided sensuality in which she suffered immense consequences?

"You didn't come here to make me surrender." She gulped. "You..."

"What do you suppose I took the time out of my very busy schedule to do then, love? Do you believe I came here to bed you, Usagi-hime?"

She narrowed her eyes venomously.

"I never allowed you to call me that."

Demando chuckled. "You said that you wished for me to call you Usagi, did you not? I'm simply bestowing a pet name upon you much like that Prince of yours. What was it that he called you again? Usako?"

Rage bubbled within her. No one was allowed to call her Usako. It was a right reserved for Mamoru, _only Mamoru. _Like everything that day, it took all she had to not lash out. He was baiting her, looking to make her react so that he could control her ever so slightly more. There was a reason behind it.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to make me angry. You're trying to gain more control over me."

"And why would I do that? When I already have so much control over you as it is? All I have to do is tell you to..._lust me_...and your body will be unwilling to fight against me."'

Usagi drew in a sharp gasp as the words were said, as the Jakokusuishou shard clutched her heart with an infectious grasp. Everything went weak, and from the waist down; her body was flooded with a peculiar warmth. She stumbled back, knees shaking and eventually buckling. Demando's arms were already outstretched, awaiting her as she fell into them. She groaned as another wave of that strange feeling sunk into her legs and settled into the low pits of her stomach. Panting loudly, unable to move a single muscle, she was forced to lean against Demando for support.

The White Prince was more than pleased with the current state of things. It was difficult to not delight in breaking the will of such a strong warrior, especially that unwavering will of his Princess. So stubborn she was, to still not comprehend that he could make her do whatever he so desired. If he wanted her to love him, all it took was two words.

If he wanted to take her...well, he was already part of the way to making that want a reality.

It was something that he had been unable to keep himself of dreaming of, unable to stop himself from fantasizing about that one moment when her purity was snatched away by him, when she was underneath him and _officially _belonged to him. Usagi was his most prized possession that he had yet to have full claim upon. And what better way to seize her than to take such a sacred piece of her reserved solely for that Prince who would never return?

_His Queen forever..._

_Solely his for all eternity..._

"Why do you do this to me...?" She panted. "Do you hate me so much that you must torture me day after day?"

_Hate you?_

Was that really what she thought? Did she think that this was torturing her more than it was him? Again, she did not understand that everything he made her do, everything he made her feel pleased him, yet made him despise himself even more. He knew very well every time he did something like this, when he used power to bend her will to match that of his own he would never act on it. He could never bring himself to carry out the deeds he had in mind mere seconds before.

Nothing was holding him back, and he would be met with no protest. So why did he keep stopping himself again and again?

"Kiss me." He said with a monotonous tone.

He was neither shocked, nor incredibly pleased when she grasped his hands and pulled him down to her, sealing her lips over his own. It was unusual for Demando to not seize the chance and deepen it, to not kiss back with a hunger that rivaled that of a man starved for weeks. But that wasn't why he had made her do it, he reminded himself. He'd commanded her to do this as a reminder to himself of what he would have when he finally pushed past what was holding him back. Once he defeated her in battle, and defeated his lingering guilt, she would be all his in every way.

Usagi on the other hand believed she would come out on top. Tears streaming down her cheeks, locked in place by Demando's arms, she was forced to kiss him by that damned crystal inside of her. All she had to do was win this battle, and she would go back to whatever home she had left. She would go back to a place where she was respected as a person, and not thrown around like some will-lacking possession. Once she regained her freedom and Ginzuishou, she could find out how to resurrect her companions who had been claimed by death. Surely, that was worth all of this.

Desperately, she wanted to slap him and scream that the kiss would be his last, for she would win the duel and he would have to let her go. To her surprise, he stepped away, releasing her, and turned away without a single word. The cape attached to his new jacket by silver epaulettes swirled around him like a storm of violet. Head held high, he strode out of the room and left a foreboding promise in the air designed to reassure himself more than scare Uasgi.

"I will win."

* * *

The White Prince watched from the shadows as Usagi engaged in last minute training with Howlite. He watched her every move intently; the gentle flick of her wrist as she struck a blow, and the way she held the sword with two hands when blocking. Silently, he was memorizing her patterns and planning his own to counter hers.

"Having second thoughts, Prince Demando?"

He scowled.

"I do not answer to you, Wiseman. Leave at once."

The ancient creature chuckled beneath his hood, unfazed by the Prince's commanding tone. His bony hands encased by a layer of puckered, yellowing skin roamed the surface of his ever present crystal ball. Images swirled on the spherical glass, giving the viewer a glimpse at the past, present, or future. He floated towards Demando who lingered amongst the sea of pillars, leaning on one with his arms crossed as well as his ankles.

"Princess Serenity is a skilled woman who has managed to learn the art of sword-fighting in a matter of days. This will not be an easy battle, and that is why I encourage you to take action, seize the upper hand."

A smug expression passed over his features.

"I'm listening..."

* * *

_"Go Usagi!" _Tourmaline cheered from the sidelines.

The former Moon Princess wiped her forehead, which was covered in beads of sweat, and charged at her opponent once more. From head to toe, she was covered in wounds; bruises, cuts, scrapes. Her golden locks had fallen out of the ponytail she had tied, leaving strands to stick to her sweat-covered cheeks. It had been at least an hour since the fight had commenced, and neither one of them was willing to back down. Demando stood across the field from her polishing his sword with a scrap of his cape that Usagi had managed to cut off. He fared better than she injury wise, with only a few minor lacerations here and there. His armor was still intact, unlike hers that was ridden with dents and chips.

She would've thought it strange had she been given the time to really stop and think about things, but alas there was no time for breaks. Every pause was a moment provided for her to reassess her pattern, and attempt to come up with something to catch him off guard. She had discovered quickly that he _had _watched her while she practiced, for he knew the direction in which she'd move before Usagi herself knew. It was easy for him to swing at her and slice her skin, leaving a stinging wound that she could only attempt to ignore as she went after him again.

Every so often from the sidelines, Howlite or Tourmaline would scream something at her, advice perhaps, but her frenzied mind was rendered unable to process any words. She was left to act on instinct, and what little brain-power she could muster.

"Ready to give up yet?" Demando mocked.

"Not likely." She growled, surging forward with a newfound wave of energy.

She leapt at him, both hands clutching her sword so tight that her knuckles were as white as winter's snow. Delivering a sharp kick to the side of his head, she swung her sword with fierce strength. It sliced a perfect line straight down the surface of his armor, but did nothing to faze him. She swiped at him again, but this time there was a loud clang as metal hit metal. He raised his own sword, blocking her, and pushing with an immense force in order to knock the weapon from her hand.

One tactic left for her to try that she had not used already. Quickly, she moved her left hand up to the blade, holding it carefully so not to cut herself, and turned the weapon horizontally. Metal ground against metal as Demando continued pushing, and Usagi attempted with all her might to block him.

"The end is drawing near. I cannot wait to have you in my bed as my wife, Usagi-hime."

"Stop calling me that!" She screeched.

It was too late though. Her momentary anger had left her defenses open just long enough for one of Demando's slim legs to knock into hers, sending her hurtling towards the ground. She landed on her back, a cloud of dust puffed up around her, with the tip of his sword hovering above her neck. He grinned wolfishly, his expression practically screaming the pleasure he felt from his supposed victory.

It infuriated her as much as the pet name had.

Demando was a fool to believe that she was done. After investing so much time and energy, she would not go down so easily. Only when they had to pick her lifeless body off the field, would she surrender.

Her sword lay less than a foot to her left, just slightly out of her reach. It would take a single roll to reach it, but finding the opportune moment to act would be tricky. Any small movement would send the tip of the blade cutting into the flesh of her neck, and she would rather not suffer another wound a mere three days later after Saphir had bestowed one upon her.

_He thinks you're a feeble woman who cannot persevere in battle. Cater to his standards long enough for him to lower his guard._

The voice in her head was correct. Lifting her gloved hand and making it quiver as much as possible, she grasped the gleaming blade. She softened her expression, and made it as sullen as possible.

"Demando, you...you win..."

Immediately, the weapon was lowered and a hand was extended towards her. Judging from his prideful expression, and the triumphant glimmer in his violet eyes, Usagi knew that she had fooled him. An uncharacteristically wicked smirk curled on her lips.

That was too easy.

She was on her feet in an instant, and retrieved her weapon from the ground. Demando's eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in fury as her actions settled within him.

"You bitch!" He roared. "You think you can trick me that easily? Well, Usagi-hime, I can play that game as well!"

Before she had a chance to attack, he disappeared from sight. Her frantic eyes scanned the room, looking for his hiding spot, and coming up with nothing. She circled around a single spot, holding her sword out in front of her for protection. When Ishida had announced the rules, the usage of magic was forbidden, yet cheating and trickery was as well. Usagi herself had already broken one rule. What would stop Demando from breaking another?

Everything was fair game now.

"You must find yourself so clever, Princess. 'Demando is a fool who will believe anything I say', you must think."

Usagi gnawed on her lower lip, waving her sword slightly as if that would deter him from attacking.

"I gave you many chances to surrender, but now..."

His form materialized on the rafters of the ceiling. With a strength-filled kick, he leapt from the rafters and down to Usagi. Seizing her wrists with a single hand, he held her in place, and lowered his head dangerously close to her neck.

"I won't be so kind."

There was a loud squelch, paired with the scrape metal as his sword pierced through the surface of her armor, and into her back. It didn't go too deep before he pulled it out, and threw her to the ground. She landed face-first, on her chest, blood soaking into her jacket.

"Bandage her wounds and have her brought to my bedchambers." Demando's voice boomed.

It was the last thing she heard before she was hoisted onto a makeshift stretcher, and the world turned black.

**End**

It was so difficult to have Usagi lose, but the storyline must commence as planned. Next up: the wedding, and...the wedding night. That sure is going to be a dramatic event. Thanks for reading. Would you kindly review?


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